History of Phi Delta Chi

The history of literary societies, honor societies, and Greek-letter organizations goes back hundreds of years. Professional societies likewise existed many years ago, but the first Greek-letter societies appeared in the United States in the decade of 1875-85. It was in this period that our Fraternity, the first professional fraternity of pharmacy founded by pharmacy students, formed. On November 2, 1883, 11 men at the University of Michigan formed our Fraternity using the name Phi Chi. At that time, there were several literary societies at Michigan, but our founders believed something should be organized exclusively for the College of Pharmacy. The forward-looking young men who banded together in 1883 to form the association that grew into today’s Phi Delta Chi are all deceased. But their names will long be remembered by every Phi Dex: Charles Edward Bond, Franklin Herbert Frazee, Llewellyn Hall Gardner, Calvin Pomeroy Godfrey, Adolph Gustave Hoffman, Arthur Gilliam Hopper, Charles F. Hueber, George Pawling Leamon, Arthur Sidney Rogers, Azor Thurston, and Albert Tenney Waggoner.

Phi Delta Chi’s success results from more than 125 years of following the purpose originally advanced in 1883: “The object of this association shall be to advance the science of pharmacy and its allied interests and to foster and promote a fraternal spirit among its members.”

History of the Alpha Iota Chapter

Recognizing the necessity for some sort of organization among the Pharmacy students at the University of Georgia, Brother H. Dale Roth (Alpha Gamma), organized a group known as Beta Xi, which functioned efficiently and later became the charter group of the Alpha Iota Chapter. Beta Xi included members of the Pharmacy Club who desired this type of organization. The pharmacy club which had no limitations on its membership had been in existence for some time at the University of Georgia. The UGA College of Pharmacy was located at Terrell Hall.

Grand Secretary Rand P. Hollenbeck established the Alpha Iota Chapter of Phi Delta Chi on Saturday May 29th, 1937. Brother H. Dale Roth was a member of the University of Georgia faculty at the time and played and instrumental role in the establishment of the Chapter.

Today we are proud to be “Oldest Pharmacy Fraternity in Georgia” and the only co-educational Fraternity at the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy. We at Alpha Iota take great pride in the fact that our pharmacy building is named after a charter Alpha Iota, Robert C. Wilson.

The charter Brothers of the Alpha Iota Chapter were:
Alfred Morrow (Charlotte, NC)
Robert T. Anderson (Bradley, GA)
Harry A. Mathews (Millen, GA)
William C. Shouse (Madison, GA)
Bert K. Carmichael, Jr. (Jackson, GA)
S. Lanier Hardman (Colbert, GA)
Harry C. Mims (Thomas County, GA)
Robert L. Jardine (Douglas, GA)
Robert C. Wilson (Athens, GA)

Robert C. Wilson became the Dean of the University of Georgia Pharmacy School and William Taylor Summerford later became a Professor at the College of Pharmacy.

Officers selected to guide the chapter though it’s first year:

Robert L. Jardine, WCC
Alfred Morrow, WVC
William C. Shouse, WKRS
Bert K. Carmichael, Jr., WKF
Harry A. Mathews, WMA
S. Lanier Hardman, WP

Alpha Iota became inactive during World War II. The last pledge class was initiated on May 11, 1939. The reactivation of Alpha Iota did not take place until May 23, 1952, which was almost 15 years after our original chartering. Brother Joseph LaRocca (Sigma) who had joined the faculty was interested in reactivating the chapter. When sixteen students approached him about Phi Delta Chi, he contacted the National Office and with the help of another Sigma brother on faculty, Francis Ford Millikan, on May 23rd the following became brothers of the reactivated Alpha Iota Chapter of Phi Delta Chi:

William A. Stevenson, Jr., Irving J. Schulman, Paul Miller, Howard A. Branch, Gene Anderson, John Sidney Dees, Jr., Rogers W. Wood, Hulett Dodge Sumlin, S.D.Walker, Jr., James F. Brackett, Joseph Edgar Scoggins, Jr., John F. Brannen, Jr., John W. Marsh, Cylde Timbs, Donald G. Jasperse, Lewis Clifford Ethridge, Jr., Kermit F. Wells.

Since then the Alpha Iota chapter has been active at the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy. We became officially a co-educational chapter during the 1982-1983 academic year.